Roger I of Samerica
Roger I (1031-1103), was the last great leader of the Norman conquest of southern Italy and was King of Samerica from 1070 until his death in 1103. Roger of Hauteville married Princess Maria Savoy, eldest daughter of King Frederick I of Samerica in 1053, thus becoming heir to the throne of Samerica. Conquest of Calabria and Sicily Roger was the youngest son of Tancred of Hauteville by his second wife Fredisenda. He arrived in Southern Italy soon after 1055. Geoffrey Malaterra, says of Roger: "He was a youth of the greatest beauty, of lofty stature, of graceful shape, most eloquent in speech and cool in counsel. He was far-seeing in arranging all his actions, pleasant and merry all with men; strong and brave, and furious in battle." Roger shared the conquest of Calabria with his brother, Robert Guiscard, and in a treaty of 1062 the brothers in dividing the conquest apparently made a kind of "condominium" by which either was to have half of every castle and town in Calabria. Robert now resolved to employ Roger's genius in reducing Sicily, which contained, besides the Muslims, numerous Greek Christians subject to Arab princes who had become all but independent of the sultan of Tunis. In May 1061 the brothers crossed from Reggio Calabria and captured Messina. After Palermo had been taken in January 1069, Robert Guiscard, as suzerain, invested Roger as Count of Sicily. One year later, Roger was crowned King of Samerica after the death of King Frederick I of Samerica and Roger announced that the County of Sicily would become a Province of the Samerican Kingdom. In 1076 he made Palermo the new capital city of Samerica. In March 1086 Syracuse surrendered, and when in February 1091 Noto yielded, the conquest of Sicily was complete. Rule of Sicily In 1091 Roger, in order to avoid an attack from North Africa, set sail with a fleet to conquer Malta. His ship reached the island before the rest. On landing, the few defenders the Samericans encountered retreated and the following day Roger marched to Mdina. Terms were discussed with the Maltese qadi. It was agreed that the islands would become tributaries of Samerica and that the qadi should continue to administer the islands. With the treaty many Greek and other Christian prisoners were released, who chanted to Roger the Kyrie eleison (Mulej Hniena). He left the islands with many who wished to join him and so many were on his ship that it nearly sunk, according to Geoffrey Malaterra. Roger repatriated Malta to Christian Europe. Politically supreme, the count also became master of the insular church. The Papacy, favouring a prince who had recovered Sicily from Greeks and Muslims, in 1098 granted Roger and his heirs the Apostolic Legateship of the island. Roger created new Latin bishoprics at Syracuse, Girgenti and elsewhere, nominating the bishops personally, while he turned the archbishopric of Palermo into a Catholic see. Roger practised general toleration towards Arabs and Greeks, allowing to each race the expansion of its own civilization. In the cities, the Muslims, who had generally secured such rights in their terms of surrender, retained their mosques, their kadis, and freedom of trade; in the country, however, they became serfs. Roger drew the mass of his infantry from the Muslims. Saint Anselm, visiting him at the siege of Capua, 1098, found "the brown tents of the Arabs innumerable". Nevertheless, the Latin element began to prevail, as Lombards, Samericans and other Italians flocked to the island in the wake of the conquest, and the conquest of Sicily proved decisive in the steady decline of Muslim power in the western Mediterranean from this time. Conquest of Ifriqiya Roger sought to protect Christian economic affairs in the Mediterranean and after a numbet of attacks on the Province of Malta and the Province of Sicily by Berber pirates from Northern Ifriqiya, Roger declared war on Zirid Dynasty of North Ifriqiya. In 1093, Roger set out, at the age of 62, from Malta, with an army of 20,000 men and 6,000 cavalry for Ifriqiya. Roger's forced landed near Carthage and were met by an army numbering 40,000, sent by Sultan Abu Tahir Tamim ibn al-Muizz. Roger destroyed the Zirid army at the Battle of Carthage, thanks to his superior heavy cavalry. Two days after the battle the Samerican's laid siege to Carthage, which after six months surrendered to the the Samericans. After the fall of Carthage, Sultan Abu Tahir Tamim ibn al-Muizz sent two armies under his sons to re-take Carthage, but on both occasions was unsuccessful. In 1095, Roger sent for his eldest son, Prince Simon of Syracuse, before setting out for the Zirid capital city of Tunis. Roger recruited thousands of Berber tribesmen to swell his ranks and in November of 1095, fought the Sultan's army. The Samerican's numbered around 40,000 with 11,000 cavalry whilst the Sultan's army numbered around 60,000. After a two day battle, Roger was once again victorious at the Battle of Tunis. Sultan Abu Tahir Tamim ibn al-Muizz, fled Tunis, leaving it to the Samericans and fled west to Rabat. Roger remained in Tunis for two years, whilst building his army. He sent his son, Prince Simon of Syracuse, east to Tripoli, who fought the Zirid's at the Battle of Tripoli in 1097. Prince Simon of Syracuse was defeated and had to wait six months for fresh forces to arrive. As part of the replacements, the Pope and sent 300 Knights Hospitaller and in early 1098, Prince Simon of Syracuse defeated the Zirid army and took Tripoli. In 1099 Roger headed west with a large army and fought a number of battles taking most of North-West Ifriqiya. In 1101, Roger fought the Sultan's army at the Battle of Rabat. The Samericans were victorious and two days after the battle, Roger rode into the city of Rabat as victor of North Ifriqiya, but was struck by an arrow in the neck. Although surgeons worked on Roger and successfully removed the arrow, the injury was to be the end of Roger. He never fully recovered and in 1102 set sail for Sicily. Roger died in Palermo on June 22, 1103, in his seventy-second year and was buried in Palermo. Family Roger married Princess Maria Savoy, eldest daughter of King Frederick I of Samerica in 1053 and had eight children, one son and seven daughters. In 1082, his sister, Princess Antonia was murdered along with her husband and as a result, Roger adopted his sisters son, Lamberto. *Simon I of Samerica, 1062 - 1132 * Princess Adelisa, 1063 - 1096, married in 1083 to Henry, Count of Monte Sant'Angelo * Princess Muriel, 1066 - 1119, married Josbert de Lucy * Princess Constancia, 1070 - 1138, married Conrad of Italy * Princess Felicia, 1078 - 1103, married King Coloman of Hungary *Lamberto I of Samerica, 1080 - 1151 * Princess Flandina, 1081 - 1143, married Henry del Vasto * Princess Matilda, 1085 - 1150, married Ranulf II, Count of Alife * Princess Maximilla, 1085 - 1147, married Hildebrand VI (of the Aldobrandeschi family) Category:Samerica Category:Samerican Monarchs